LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary LeonPanetta said on Friday militants who attacked the United Statesand its citizens will be hunted down, in the first comments by asenior U.S. official on a hostage attack by Islamist militantsin Algeria.
He said the U.S. government was working around the clock toensure the safe return of its citizens caught up in the Algeriacrisis.
A U.S. plane landed on Friday at an airport near a desertgas plant in Algeria where Islamist gunmen took hundreds ofhostages to evacuate Americans caught up in the crisis, a localsource said.
"Regardless of the motivation of the hostage takers, thereis no justification, no justification for the kidnapping andmurder of innocent people," Panetta said during a visit toLondon, adding that the United States was in close touch withthe Algerian government about the crisis.
"Terrorists should be on notice that they will find nosanctuary, no refuge, not in Algeria, not in North Africa, notanywhere. Those who would wantonly attack our country and ourpeople will have no place to hide," he said.
U.S. officials had no clear information on the fate ofAmericans, though a U.S. military drone had flown over the gascomplex where hostage crisis unfolded.